Jasmine had actually tried to set Miles up with none other than her own cousin.Seeing that she couldn’t stop us from leaving, she suddenly raised her voice. "Mr. Wynn, you’re a talented young man. Don’t let certain people deceive you!"Her voice wasn’t too loud, but it was just enough for everyone on the terrace to hear.The atmosphere stiffened. Under the dim, ambient lighting, Miles’ expression became unreadable.Jasmine’s out-of-line remark even startled her plump husband, James.He quickly grabbed her arm and hissed under his breath, "Are you out of your mind? Shut up!"But Jasmine was flustered and blurted out, "What do you know? My cousin is so beautiful, and we finally managed to—"The rest of her sentence was lost as she and her husband began whispering furiously.Miles turned to the approaching manager and murmured a few instructions. Within moments, two waiters politely escorted the troublesome couple away.Jasmine tried to protest, but the manager leaned in and gave her a
May Rich let out a snort as a form of greeting.When she saw me, she sneered through her nose. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Moore. And this gentleman…”Her eyes landed on Miles’ face, and instantly, her plump face lit up.She hurriedly asked, “And who is this... this handsome gentleman?”The greedy glint in her eyes made me uncomfortable.Sharon introduced, “This is Mr. Miles Wynn from Wynn Group.”May quickly reached out, attempting to shake Miles’s hand.But Miles, who was always so polite and refined, acted as if he hadn’t seen her at all.He leaned down slightly and asked me in a low voice, “Shall we go?”I nodded.May’s hand hung awkwardly in midair, and only then did Jasmine seem to realize that Miles hadn’t acknowledged them from the beginning.So, the three of them stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.Seeing that Miles was about to leave, Sharon quickly said, “Miles, don’t go yet. Help me out a little longer. I’ve got a few paintings to sell.”I found it odd. What did her pa
I had to admit, the blinding flash of gold nearly made me squint.Miles didn’t take the card.He waved a hand casually. “Mrs. Rich, I appreciate the kind invitation. If there’s time, my assistant will be in touch.”Her hand froze awkwardly in midair.Color flushed and drained from her face in turns before she forced a tight smile. “Mr. Wynn, we’re all businesspeople in the same city. Would it hurt to build a connection?”Miles remained impeccably polite. “Yes, it would.”The muscles in her round face twitched.Then Miles calmly added, “I was raised in a strict household. I don’t form ties lightly.”Her plump cheeks started to tremble. There was no doubt she was furious.Her voice turned shrill. “Mr. Wynn, maybe you don’t know who I am. Perhaps you should look me up before brushing me off. I own over a hundred jewelry stores and oversee assets worth several millions. Even that big-shot…” She threw out the name of a well-known city tycoon, one that would usually turn heads.Miles didn
Darl… Darling?My scalp prickled.I had never heard Miles call me anything that sweet before.Which could only mean one thing—he was furious. Really, truly furious.A few moments later, Nicholas, finally strolled in, fashionably late.He loosened his tie with a sigh. “I finally wrapped up all the meet-and-greets.”Then, catching sight of me, he asked, “Eve, you doing okay? If you’re feeling off, I’ll take you back to the hospital right now.”Sharon glided over with a smile. “She’s fine. Eve just wanted to stay and enjoy the evening a bit longer.”Nicholas frowned. “Enjoy what? Your top priority right now is recovering. And with so many people around, it’s not exactly…”He cut himself off mid-sentence.Miles spoke slowly, his tone cool. “She needs to step out into the world eventually. You can’t keep her tucked away forever.”Nicholas mulled that over and nodded. “You’ve got a point.”Miles added, just as calmly, “And if she crosses paths with a few idiots along the way…”Nicholas immed
The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, I raised my hand. “Seven thousand.”No one else followed up. After all, the artist wasn’t known, and the piece didn’t have much collectible value.“Eight thousand!”A voice suddenly called out from behind me.I turned and noticed it was Jasmine.She gave me an overly sweet smile. “Oh, Mrs. Moore, my apologies. I happen to really like this piece too.”I turned back around. “Ten.”Jasmine: “Eleven.”My brows knit tighter and tighter.Nicholas shot her a scowl. “Who is that? Why is she bidding against you? Is she out of her mind?”I hesitated for a moment. “Fourteen.”Another voice chimed in. “Twenty.”I turned, frowning even deeper.May had joined in. She threw me a smug glance before turning her eyes on Miles with the hunger of a predator sizing up her prey.A rush of anger flared in my chest.I immediately called out, “Thirty!”“Fifty!”“Sixty!”“Ninety!”...A painting by an unknown artist with no reputation had been pushed all the way up
Miles caught sight of my expression and gave a faint smile. “Getting tired? Want me to take over the bidding?”But I was still fuming. “No. I’ll do it myself.”Forty thousand, huh?I thought about my bank account balance and felt a little bolder. “Sixty thousand dollars!”Gasps rippled through the room.This wasn’t just a bidding war anymore—it had turned into a full-on showdown, with prices jumping by the thousands instead of a few hundred.May raised her hand proudly. “Eighty hundred!”“Wow, May Rich is really going all in.”“What’s gotten into her? Looks like she’s actually trying to send a message to the Whites.”“Did you recognize her? That’s Julian Moore’s wife. You know...”“Wait, what’s she doing sitting with Mr. Wynn? They looked... pretty close.”“Oh, you don’t know? Julian and his wife are getting divorced. Word is, she finally got fed up with all his affairs and filed a divorce.”“But the divorce isn’t finalized yet, right? And she’s already moved on?”“Who knows? Maybe it’
He stepped into the center of the crowd and spoke calmly, “I intend to buy this painting and give it to my wife, Evelyn White.”Then he looked at me. “I hope she can forgive me. I’ve made countless mistakes… ignored the love she gave me. And now... I’m asking for her forgiveness.”The entire room erupted....I stood still, watching Julian from across the crowd.He looked nothing like the confident, arrogant man I first saw after losing my memory. His face was pale, drawn, his energy completely different like a ghost of who he used to be.His suit was wrinkled, probably from rushing over. Even his hair was messy, unstyled, like he hadn’t touched a comb or gel before leaving.His eyes locked on mine, tuning out the noise around us.I parted my lips but couldn’t bring myself to speak. I turned my gaze away from the heat of his stare.Nicholas stepped in front of me, his eyes full of fury as he glared at Julian. “What the hell is your problem?”Julian pushed through the crowd to face m
In the end, with Sharon’s mediation, the painting was purchased by Julian for forty thousand dollars and then gifted to me. May was kicked out of the auction, restoring the artwork to its fair value. Her chubby face was filled with displeasure, but with Nicholas, Julian, and the quiet Miles all present, she knew better than to throw a tantrum. She left immediately, leaving the painting to Julian. After making the payment, Julian had Sharon pass the painting to me. He left without a word. I saw him glance back at me one last time before walking away. In that look, I saw the same sorrow mirrored in his eyes. Could it be… he loved me too? I felt a hand rested on my shoulder, followed by a warm voice. "Eve, let’s go." I nodded and quietly took his hand. ... At the hospital, I unwrapped the painting. The wave of loneliness and despair it carried hit me like a tide. The scent of blood and crashing waves was so vivid, it felt almost real. I asked the nurse to help
I let out a breath of relief. "Good. I guess I’ll stop taking baths from now on. Who knew something so relaxing could nearly kill me?"I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but neither Miles nor Joseph smiled.Forcing a small grin, I added, "Just… don’t tell my brother, okay?"Miles gave a warm smile. "I won’t."Joseph glanced at him, then said, "I’ve checked everything—she’s fine. Just be careful not to catch a cold."Miles walked him out.When he returned to the room, I was already sitting up against the headboard, my expression uneasy.The mattress dipped slightly beside me as Miles sat down. He looked at me gently. "Eve, what’s wrong?"My voice was low. "Miles... I had a dream about Julian."Miles let out a quiet breath. "That’s normal. I was worried it might be something worse."I shook my head, a flicker of panic rising in my eyes. "But I’ve never dreamed about him since the memory loss. And this time… I saw the first time I met him."My hands trembled slightly. "I shouldn’t r
Warm water swirled gently around me, and the weight of exhaustion began to pull me under.Sleep crept in, soft and heavy....“Eve, come on! I heard the campus heartthrob’s here today!”I looked up, my vision blurry.Where was I?Dolly’s face appeared in front of me, lit with excitement. “Hurry! If we’re late, we won’t get a good view. The club’s short on people, so they brought in the heartthrob to help out. Come on, everyone’s rushing over.”I reached out and grabbed her arm. “No, I’m not going.”She gave me a puzzled look. “Why not? That’s Julian Moore! He’s literally the most popular guy on campus. He’s good looking and comes from a wealthy family.”Something caught in my throat. I wanted to speak but couldn’t get the words out.Dolly, getting impatient, tugged at my hand and started dragging me forward.There were people everywhere, too many to count.Eventually, we arrived at the small rehearsal theater.I looked around in confusion. There were crowds all around, but no one I re
But what did she say?Julian’s grip tightened around the charm, his fingers curling into it as pain filled his eyes...."Julian, I know there’s nothing I can do for you… Just keep this charm. They say the priest there is the real deal. You’re not supposed to throw it away once it’s been blessed.""Julian, I don’t care if you ever become rich or powerful. I just want you to be safe."That foolish woman had clutched the charm in her hands, smiling at him with such innocence and blind faith....The knot dug into his palm, sharp enough to hurt. Julian opened his hand, then closed it tightly around it again.Chloe, who had been rambling on, finally noticed something was off.She caught sight of the charm in his hand and scoffed. "What is that? It looks so tacky."She reached over, trying to take a closer look.Julian quickly slipped it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.Chloe’s eyes narrowed. "Did she give you that?"He started the car, his voice flat. "No. I got it myself. Some p
Julian looked at me, confused.I took a deep breath. "Julian, stop. I know why you're apologizing. You're doing this for Chloe’s child, right? You just don’t want things to get ugly."He lowered his head, then gave a small nod. "Yes, that’s part of it... but I really…"I cut him off quickly. "Don’t. Goodbye, Mr. Moore."Without looking back, I turned and got into the car.Miles noticed something was off the moment he saw my face. "What did he say?"I steadied myself. "He wants to settle everything privately. He doesn’t want it to go to court."Miles glanced toward Julian’s lonely figure in the distance, his eyes flickering."You okay?" he asked.I shook my head. "I’m fine."He paused, then handed me a tissue. "If it hurts, just cry."I looked at him, my eyes dry. "I can’t cry. But why do I still feel so awful?"His gaze softened. "Julian's pulling all this to protect his pride because of Chloe’s child, isn’t he?"I drew in a shaky breath. "Yeah. He apologized, but in the end, it’s still
Julian's expression darkened as he stared at me. "Evelyn, I thought you said you loved me? And yet here you are with Miles already—what, were you two sneaking around while we were together?"Without thinking, I slapped him.He grabbed my wrist, sneering coldly. "Did I strike a nerve?"I laughed in anger. "I shouldn’t have let Miles in the car earlier. If I hadn’t, the one slapping you right now would’ve been him."Julian let go of my hand and said coolly, "Enough nonsense. Evelyn, dragging this to court would just be a spectacle. After five years of marriage, I don’t want things to end like this."Was he trying to reconcile?I forced down my fury and asked, "What do you have in mind?"Julian hesitated, his gaze complicated. "I’ll return everything that belongs to you... just give me some time."I was stunned.I hadn’t expected Julian, who always seemed so tough, to willingly give up fighting and hand over what I deserved.I went quiet. "Alright. How much time do you need?"Julian tugged
Julian blurted out, “What?!”Then, snapping out of his shock, his face twisted with fury. “Miles Wynn, what the hell do you mean by that?!”Miles smiled, calm and unbothered. “Nothing more than the truth.”Julian’s voice rose, livid. “Truth? This is nothing but one of your dirty tricks!”Miles raised a brow, pretending to be confused. “Dirty? Hmm. I’d actually call it a fresh idea.”Julian’s already dark expression grew stormier.Chloe stood beside him, jaw clenched, eyes locked on us with thinly veiled rage. Suddenly, she cut in sharply, “But wasn’t it Miss White who transferred the 1.2 million to Elmwood?”Dolly stepped forward without missing a beat. “That money was loaned to Eve by me. Got a problem with that?”That shut them both up.I felt a wave of satisfaction rise in my chest. But I also knew Julian wasn’t going to let this slide so easily.Sure enough, he turned to me, eyes cold. “Eve, this is going to court anyway. You can spin the story however you want. We’ll see what the
The moment I saw that elegant, refined face, so striking it felt almost divine, every bit of the frustration I’d buried surged to the surface.Without a second thought, I rushed into his arms. “Miles!”Warmth enveloped me, and the familiar clean scent of pine wrapped around my senses. My eyes stung instantly.Miles lowered his head, chuckling softly. “What’s wrong? You look like a little bunny with those red eyes.”Feeling embarrassed, I gave his chest a light smack. “Why are you here?”He studied my face carefully, then gently brushed his fingers across my cheek. “I heard someone was picking on my darling, so I came running.”That warmth spread through my chest, overflowing, making it hard to hold back tears.He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. “Don’t cry, silly girl.”Then he straightened and looked around the room.His gaze passed over Sarah and Dolly, finally landing on Julian.Julian instinctively straightened his back.He stepped forward, voice laced with sarcasm. “What brin
I turned to Sarah with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Miss Care. It seems I’m not in a position to work with your company until I sort out my personal matters.”Sarah shook her head regretfully. “Please don’t apologize. Our company is moving forward with expansion this year. We’ve already allocated the available investment slots. If you decide not to invest… we’ll have to open the opportunity to others.”She gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Miss White. But once this window closes, there will be no further opportunity.”I offered a bitter smile and nodded. “I understand.”Dolly was so angry, she could barely hold back a choked sob. “That shameless bastard… absolutely shameless!”I squeezed her hand, silently telling her it was time to go.Julian stepped in front of us, blocking the way. His expression was conflicted, and when he spoke, his voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.“Eve, maybe we can talk this through.”“Julian, you… you’re still not done?” Chloe’s voice r
The moment I heard those words, a rush of blood surged to my head.My ears rang, and that all-too-familiar wave of dizziness came crashing back.I barely registered Dolly's voice rising in fury. “Julian Moore, do you have no shame? You really dare say that was marital property?! Eve paid for it herself! You… you're absolutely disgusting!”I could barely stay on my feet, the world tilting around me.“Dolly… I…” I whispered weakly.She quickly caught me and helped me sit down.I took a few deep breaths to steady myself, then looked up at Julian. And for a split second, though maybe it was the dizziness playing tricks on me, I thought I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes.Sarah noticed something was off and immediately stepped in. “Miss White, don’t worry. We can take this slowly.”I fought to calm my pounding heart and spoke, voice steady but cold. “What exactly is it that you want, Mr. Moore?”Julian hesitated for a moment, but soon the polished businessman returned to his